Once through the door Khayal catches his breath for a moment, waiting for healing light from Hajar.
Thank you Bartan, always amazed by what you can do with the cards.
The Hell Hound in front of them died on Yazi's first axe attack.
Hajar shut the door, saying "Good job, Bartan!". Seeing Yazi take care of the Hell Hound, the paladin added "Good job as well, Yazi."
The azer mercenary appeared to be barely hanging onto his short spear. "Someone mentioned healing. I'd like to be included in that, if possible." he said.
A second Hell Hound comes from around the stairwell to your North, just as Yazi warned. It saw Khayal (and his ring) and bared its' teeth; the Hell Hound saw Yazi standing over the fallen form of its' mate, and the snarl became full-out aggression. The Hound stepped forward, and breathed fire at the adventurer.
"Hell Hounds. So predictable they're pathetic." Broadbeard grumbled as the fire passed over him like a windy breeze.
You hear the -boom-, -boom-! of Giant footsteps coming down the staircase to the far North (not the staircase next to you, those go down to a lower level).
ROUND TWELVE
Init:
The second Hell Hound took a snap at Nasir as she danced past it.
But Nasir's armor easily withstood the attempt. The Hell Hound shivered when Nasir's blade touched it, and then the fur of the Hell Hound opened entirely to Yazi's axe, falling in pieces on the floor.
Bartan tosses two cards at the nearest hellpup.
plus
plus
Bartan's playing cards hit the already-dead Hell Hound corpse, freezing parts of its' carrion.
From the North, everyone hears the heavy steps of a Large creature clad in iron half-plate coming down the stairs. You hear the creature complaining, almost to himself, in Common.
"I don't need this! I have work to do! I finally drove away those lizardfolk from the Cult of Incarnate Flame from the barracks, but I have upstart salamanders demanding more pay and privileges, strange goings-on with Borzen, and I don't want to end up like Gilbans next door!" You hear more stomping down the stairs.
"So why do I have intruders at my southern portal? Why?" the voice demands.
Hajar closed his eyes and raised a hand to his face, fingers tight and pointing up as the paladin said a wordless prayer to Sarenrae. A soundless wave erupted from the oracle's form, spreading outwards in a circle to the other adventurers and azer.
Rayhan and Broadbeard checked their wounds. Broadbeard looked much better, but the older wizard still had some damage from where the boulder had hit him.
Broadbeard took position at the stairs going down, looking around the edge to the North. The azer motioned to the others, The Giant Is Over Here.
Khayal moves to get in between the giant and his companions. The smell of brimstone has been bothering him for the past few days. The tang of its scent only got worse with the giant’s arrival, almost making him sneeze.
Khayal does not intend to fight the giant unless he takes the first swing. But he wants to be ready for the fight if it starts.
"Right you are, Master axe-fighter." Broadbeard replied to Yazi. Hearing the fire giant's issues, the fire-dwarf added "He has complaints? We just avoided a pyrohydra!" As Khayal went past Broadbeard, the azer tightened his grip on his spear.
Rayhan took a look down the darkened stairs.
ROUND THIRTEEN
Init:
"I hear nothing from down here. It could be a safe retreat." Rayhan told the others quietly.
"A safe retreat, we could use. Lady Yazi, perhaps use your keen eyes to look for hidden dangers?"
Dust motes dance in the light casted by Nasir.
Hajar moves to follow Khayal, but does another Channel Energy.
Going down the stairs, you see the brass ceiling of these casement chambers seems to bow under the great weight of the fortress above. Stairs punctuated by landings, complete with firing ports, look out over the citadel’s entry.
Yazi sees arrowslits in the walls, and crates of open Large brass crossbow bolts litter the floor.
Khayal follows his companions into the dark corridor. Thinking to himself. Even her lights dance.
Khayal keeps a wary eye on the firing ports looking for any sign of movement. The bolts are large enough to slay a giant and that worries him.
Everyone just sees an old, abandoned part of the palace in the City of Brass. Dust swirls around your feet. The sound of the rest of the city comes from Large arrowslits in the walls.
Broadbeard runs down the stairs to join the adventurers. The light from his body-fire lets you see that the room continues to the East.
"Oi! Get back here, you!" called out the fire giant from above. "Whatcha goin' down there for? That's just the old torture chambers!"
You hear large footsteps getting closer to the stairs.
"That's the problem with today's adventurers." the voice continued. "No respect for their betters. Well, I'd better take care of them, anyway."
ROUND FOURTEEN
Init:
Khayal continues to make his path towards what Broadbeard seems to think is the old torture chamber. He keeps his eyes wearily on the slits in the wall. [ooc]Anyone else unable to log on in Chrome?[ooc]
The adventurers, now fully down in the lower dungeon level of the Palace, heard the -stomp- -stomp- of the Fire Giant following them down the large stairs.
"I believe we will gain the element of surprise here." Rayhan told everyone. "Broadbeard, yes? Over there, so we can see!" the older man pointed South of where Khayal had moved to the next chamber's edge. Rayhan himself moved well away from the stairs' edge, near a very large arrowslit in the wall.
"Yazi!" Rayhan called softly. "Your axe can keep the giant on the stairs. Bartan! Over by me. Hajar has his falchion to reach the giant's knees, and Nasir can use her blades!"
"Somethin' else, being a portable light source." the azer grumbled, but moved quickly as instructed.
The steps came down the stairs, and it is evident that the Fire Giant is hurrying down the brass steps.
"There you are!" came the booming voice as the Giant appeared on the steps.
Hajar prays to Sarenrae and then he moves forward with Tempest raised.
Calling upon the divine power of your patron, you imbue yourself with strength and skill in combat. You gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Strength checks, and Strength-based skill checks for every three caster levels you have (maximum +6). You also gain 1 temporary hit point per caster level. Whenever you make a full-attack action, you can make an additional attack at your full base attack bonus, plus any appropriate modifiers. This additional attack is not cumulative with similar effects, such as haste or weapons with the speed special ability.
Bartan pulls out a card and enhances it with cold, then prepares to cast a spell and hurl it as soon as the giant is in range.
plus plus plus
The giant noticed the paladin in robes coming at him, and a crude greatsword swung at the smaller man.
Bartan tosses his card at the creature.
which card?: 1d54 ⇒ 51 The Courtesan (Chaotic Neutral), matches both axes, so 19-20 and x3 crit
card toss: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 1 = 31 damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 plus sneak: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 5) = 11 plus cold: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4 plus frigid touch, more cold: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 6) = 14 Aww, one off from the crit!
Khayal rushes over to get to the base of the stairs. The sound of the air getting knocked out of his brother causes him to wince. Sarenrae must really like him or that massive sword would have cut him in two.
The fire giant reeled from the card flying around his sword and hitting him square on his half-plate armor. The crackling of frost after the strike made the giant roar in anger.
"Outsiders! How dare you! Cold magic is forbidden in this city!"
ROUND FIFTEEN
Init:
Broadbeard went back to the stairs and crouched down, ready to attack with his spear when the fire giant came out into the open.
"We have been trying to leave your cursed city for what feels like years. We will use whatever magic we choose." Bartan growls. Then he tosses a whole volley of cards at the giant after casting another frigid touch spell.
plus plus
plus
Bartan's first card hit the giant, just like before, and the giant suffered even more cold damage, frost going across his armor. The second card went wide.
Khayal charges up the remaining distance and gives a quick swing of his kukri.
The fire giant tried to hit Yazi as she stepped up!
"Ha! The Guardians of the Forbidden Gate have not lost their edge!" boasted the fire giant.
But his shout was cut short by Khayal's blade. With a surprised grunt, the fire giant fell down, dead.
Hajar smiles broadly I have no idea lovely Yazi.
We should head to the ground floor.
Hajar will lead the party upwards.
Hajar heals himself and Yazi from the wounds inflicted by the giant.
The adventurers head upstairs to the room with the dead Hell Hounds in it.
Once a large bifurcated guardroom with arrow slits to the West and South, these chambers are now largely devoid of furnishings. A broad stair descends to the West, looking out onto the citadel’s entry, and arrow slits and a door open onto the entry where it turns to the East. Dual stairs climb to the floor above from the center of the room.
From upstairs you hear the rumble of Fire Giants talking, the echoes coming off the staircase walls going up.
"You think they got him?
"Yeah, that loudmouth would've told us if he had been able to defeat or capture all the intruders."
"So what do we do?"
"Well I'm not waiting here to be picked off. I'm going for the rest of the guys, the hounds, and the calvary-magmins. Hold them here until we get back. They can defeat one of us. Let 'em try with five Guardians of the Forbidden Gate!" The voice is angry.
"Uh, sure. You sure I can't go and get Tarthar?"
You hear a -smack-!
"Oh, just do as you're told, coward!"
You hear the -boom- of a slammed door upstairs.